Management of a multinational mass fatality incident in Kaprun, Austria: a forensic medical perspective

The Armed Forces Regional Medical Examiner in Europe is responsible for medico-legal death investigations for the U.S. military in 89 countries in Europe, Southwest Asia, and Africa. The Disaster Mortuary Affairs Response Team (DMART) is a rapidly deployable, experienced, multidisciplinary team patterned after the regional U.S. civilian Disaster Mortuary Response Teams. One of the first major challenges since the DMART's inception occurred on November 11, 2000. A fire in a funicular servicing a ski resort claimed 155 victims in a mountain tunnel in Kaprun, Austria. The DMART deployed to assist the Austrian authorities in the rapid recovery, examination, identification, and return of the remains. The DMART's considerable forensic expertise and inherent spirit of cooperation were instrumental in the successful management of the disaster, resulting in the positive identification and release of all 155 remains within 2 weeks of the incident.